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Back to work on a very cold and possibly frosty morning with The Lady under her snug cover and to the usual mail pile and preparations for the Comart Review Meeting as the aftermath of the Lebanese bomb confirms 227 dead
Early to the office and first to return a kettle that I had confiscated from its owner last week! Then to longish meetings with Carlton, Ian and John to review my comments on their management reports. The fact of getting the reports prior to the weekend has been such a boon in providing opportunity for considered analysis and comment. Then to the huge Monday mail and soon after the second post which makes us wonder as to the eventual changes needed to deal with it.
After lunch to sort my papers and later to catch up on my correspondence, but I am left with much important work delayed. Also I experience continued trouble in trying to contact the BMMG Membership Officer and Secretary.
Tonight Lebanon reports that 186 Americans and 41 Frenchmen are dead and public opinion turns fast against a continued presence. President Mitterrand visits the wreckage at an hours’ notice to lend moral support. In North Carolina, the bereaved relatives of the US troops have a delay in being told of the fate of their sons because of lost personnel records and “dog-tags” separated from the victims as they were sleeping.
The weather today has been very cold with home and office heating systems struggling to keep us warm. With a full moon on a clear sky this evening, I suspect a heavy frost and am glad that The Lady is snugly under its cover. Today Diana had trouble with the British Leyland dealer, who not only misdiagnosed her metro’s exhaust fault, but added delay and overcharging to its ineptitudes.
Bed early tonight with keen anticipation towards tomorrow’s meeting.
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Morning reading before calls with John Lamb on Comart matters and then a riverside park outing as The Lady’s winter cover is put on and with it put to an end the season’s boating. Bombs in the Lebanon kill 170+ people but two stranded Russian spacemen get more food and water and Geoff Boycott gets his Yorkshire CC meeting called.
A good night’s sleep and lay in on the morning that the clocks are put back an hour for winter time. After a cooked breakfast (including the first and single duck egg we have had laid for the last three days) a morning in bed reading the Economist and Sunday Times. In late morning a call from John Lamb to compare notes on the board papers before a run to the Riverside Park in St Neots with the family for a walk and exercise on the new climbing frame there.
Back in time for lunch and after to fit the winter cover to The Lady. A three hour exercise with Daniel’s help but in the end a good job as we tie down all parts of this custom-made cover very securely. We have now removed all duck food from the riverside workshops to help cure the large infestation of rats. They have chewed large holes in many parts. Tea from our trolley in front of the television.
News today of bombs in Lebanon at the Beirut bases of the United States and French peacekeeping forces. Dead are numbered at 140 + Americans and 30 + French in the two explosions caused by suicide mission lorries packed with high explosives – estimated as equivalent to 2000 tons of TNT. Iran are suspected as being behind the bombings. HMS Antrim is steaming to Grenada to take off foreign nationals if needed. The two Russian cosmonauts, stranded in the USSR Soyez space vehicle have now been relieved by food and fuel supplies. There is still no way down for them, however, without repairs to their craft. Geoffrey Boycott’s supporters had collected the 240 + signatures from members to force a general meeting of the Yorkshire Cricket Club.
The weather today fine and sunny but the chain of anticyclones bringing chilly weather in the clear evenings. Later tonight writing up Comart’s Quality meeting minutes and Q. Assurance policy which I am very pleased with.
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Some shopping after a late morning in bed catching up with reading as Daniel shows his ‘techie’ talents before an evening working as the clocks go back and world-wide mass anti-nuclear demonstrations take place
A rather sleepless night,with brain overactive with the large number of changes in motion at the moment. Also the board papers only part read but interesting enough to provoke further thought. At last morning and early to tea in bed and the papers to read. Indeed mostly in bed until 10.30am without having finished them by the time we left to go shopping in St Neots for Diana’s birthday present. I bought her a ladies digital watch for £19.95 and she had much amusement in setting the alarm and timer. Every past watch she has had has kept stopping and she hoped the digital watch is the answer! For me, I stick to the old-fashioned analogue kind with day, date, and time clearly displayed without pushing buttons all the time. Before lunch also to collect my new brown suit from Hepworths and some sea food for tea before driving to Kimbolton for Daniel.
Off together to Cambridge to buy stationery, look around the shops, and take Daniel to the computer stores. He is a complete “micro-buff” these days and is already a handy programmer. Home this afternoon to complete my reading and after tea to some desk work. Tomorrow I must have finished my Quality Report and meeting minutes.
News today of anti-nuclear demonstrations by 2 million + people throughout Europe. At least 200,000 and possibly more were in Hyde Park alone in an overwhelming but peaceful protest; 500,000 in Rome; 50,000 in Stockholm. In Grenada and elsewhere in the Caribbean, considerable anger is directed towards the revolutionary military government and their neighbouring islands move to isolate the country. The clocks go back tonight with some fine but chilly autumn weather. Last thing, I hear that a gunman had crashed through the security gate of a U.S. golf course and held one of Pres. Reagan’s aids hostage before giving himself up.
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A crisp clear morning and the same approach to ‘advice’ given to my errant directors for giving poor examples to the team but a warmer end to the day in the 60degC’s all as the government disputes with miners and telephone engineers gather pace overshadows sinister developments concerning cruise nuclear missiles
Early to the office on a crisp clear morning and first to visit the ‘Porta-Kabins’ to ensure the heating was on and to check with Derek Weatherby about progress on the accounts. Then to clear the mail and help June complete the personnel report before chairing a Quality meeting that successfully plotted a course further for the progress of the company’s quality plan. After a round-robin session to follow up the queries raised, a quick sandwich and then into the main business of the day – rounding up all of the papers for circulation this evening.
Come 3.00pm much annoyance that Derek W. and his two senior accountants were not back from lunch after another of his winey sessions and harsh words from me on his return at 3.30pm. He is so dedicated in many of his actions for the company but spoils it by such behaviour which I cannot tolerate because of the company dynamic, as he well knows. Eventually in late afternoon to complete the best set of board papers yet and in late discussion with all the Directors much good accord on recent achievements. Last thing a close and frank discussion with Ian, the best for a long time on his problems with Colin and the organisation of the engineering team.
Tonight a relatively early evening to read and to bed at 10.00pm. The day has been cold early and late but the midday sun was enjoyed by many with temperatures in the 60’s.
News today of a famous victory by the telephone Engineers Union at British Telecom over the management of Mercury in the legal test of the new provisions of the 1982 Employment Act. The courts rule that the efforts of the Union were in the course of a lawful trades dispute. The miners are fighting again by way of overtime ban next week to avoid pit closures. The concern over contraceptive pills grows with advice for women to use the lower strength pills.
The row over cruise missile deployment in Europe has moved to Germany with public protests by the Green Peace movement. There is now less than 10 weeks to go before deployment and Thatcher has agreed with Mitterrand (President of France) today that if the general talks on disarmament fail that Europe should deploy. Such is the problems of the world and for all my company’s struggles I note tonight that group profit for the first three months is £120K against a budgeted £30K loss.